Family Adventure, Right?
by GuiltyPleasureFics
Summary: The triplets are dying for an adventure and so is Webby. However, when an adventure goes sour and the family starts falling apart, they start to wish that they had just stayed home instead. (More Dewey centric at first but becomes Louie centric)
1. Chapter 1

Huey was a bit of a nerd, dork, geek, whatever phrase you want to use.

Dewey was an adventurous, daring, theatrical kid.

Louie was a mischievous, sly, and cunning child.

Well, that's the standard description of them. Nobody bothered to learn much more unless they just wanted to get close to THE Scrooge McDuck. Nobody wanted to learn more about the triplets.

Webby wasn't that way at all. Maybe it was because she already knew more about Scrooge than they did, but she genuinely cared for each of them.

She liked to teach Louie that doing the right thing isn't bad. He taught her to let loose and enjoy life, but be skeptical when needed. At first, he didn't like her. Then, he had a crush on her. But soon, he let go of that. Why? Because she liked Dewey. It was as clear as day. Louie's feelings for her eventually faded, and he only seeked friendship with her.

Webby's relationship with Huey was a bit different. He immediately had a crush on her but like Louie's, it went away. She was someone he could trust, someone who was good at making things fun. However, Huey values his friendship with her. She just wasn't his type of person.

Dewey had spent a lot of time with her. They explored together, had fun together, and understood each other on a level he and his brothers never had. He was friendly towards her, but what started out platonic became much more to him. She was the one duck who made him feel special without him having to try tricks or anything like that.

They were all thankful for Webby, but what they didn't account for was the fact that they needed each other just as much as they needed her. Because of their attention towards her, they didn't find time to be with each other.

Soon, we'll see how things turn out as an adventure turns sour.


	2. Louie's Disappearance

Everyone was on a trip to...they didn't really know. Scrooge was insisting on finding the Golden Temple Of Riches. They were well on their way with Launchpad flying the Sunchaser.

Louie was trying to not be bored as Huey ranted about many things going on. Dewey was staring at the window, ready to jump out for an adventure. Webby was right there next to him, gushing at the world around them.

Soon, they landed in a jungle of sorts. Well, more like crashed since Launchpad is their pilot after all.

Dewey and Webby were practically bouncing out of the plane with excitement. Louie was a bit impatient as of course, he wanted the riches that the temple promised.

Scrooge was there, cutting away at some branches as they continued on the path.

"Now, you best be very careful around 'ere. This isn't like any other adventure you've been on. Not only is the temple dangerous, but also this entire jungle. Many creatures here would tear you to bits!"

Donald nodded, for once agreeing with his uncle. "This is very dangerous, boys. You need to make sure to stay together. Always have at least one other person with you!"

Dewey and Webby immediately glanced at each other with large grins.

Huey nodded. "Right, I guess this means that Louie and I are going to be-Louie?"

The duck in green had mysteriously disappeared while they were talking. This sparked worry among the others.

"Uh, Louie? Louie!" Huey looked around. "Did any of us see where Louie went?!"

Dewey shook his head. "He can't be that far away! Maybe he saw the golden temple?"

Webby shrugged nervously. "Um, how long has he been gone?"

Donald was panicking. "Louie! LOUIE! Where are you?!"

He glared at Scrooge. "I told you this was too dangerous for the boys!"

The older duck chuckled sheepishly. "I'm sure he's somewhere around here. Maybe he stayed behind with Launchpad."

Dewey interjected. "No way! Louie wouldn't pass the opportunity to get his hands on gold."

Donald glared at Scrooge. "I'm not letting you lose someone again, Scrooge!"

"Now, now, I'm not going to lose him, alright? We just need to look for him somewhere."

Huey was flipping through the pages of his Junior Woodchuck Guide, hoping for some answers. He was the eldest of the three. He should've kept a better eye on his younger brother!

"No, no, he's fine, right? Right?!"

Everyone was scrambling around calling out for Louie. Scrooge shouted for everyone to calm down.

"Donald, go back to the plane with Huey. Dewey and Webbigail, you're coming with me. If he's gone ahead, then we might find him."

Donald, still glaring at Scrooge, stomped up to him. "How do I know you're going to keep these two safe?"

"Trust me! Webby is a good fighter and Dewey...he has his ways. I'll save them if needed."

Dewey looked at Scrooge in disbelief. He has his ways?

Huey nodded. "It's ok, Uncle Donald. They can take care of themselves. If we waste anymore time, Louie could get eaten by something."

Donald huffed. "Fine,"


	3. Envy

**A/N: I don't really ship anyone in DuckTales. Debby is a nice ship but it's not really my thing. I just don't find shipping to be important for DuckTales.**

* * *

With no sign of Louie anywhere, Scrooge, Dewey, and Webby continued on. Dewey was still bummed out about the whole Scrooge not recognizing him thing. Anyways, he couldn't let that get to him. Eventually, they did find something. It was a large pit of traps that led to the real temple.

You see, they did find the temple, but the entrance was beneath the ground. Dewey ran towards it, embracing the danger.

Scrooge used his cane to hold the boy back.

"Be careful, lad! You could get yourself killed!"

Dewey rolled his eyes. "We've been through this a million times! I can handle myself!"

Webby rubbed her arm. "I mean, Uncle Scrooge, he's kind of right. You've done this before."

Scrooge rolled his eyes. "Look, your uncle Donald doesn't want you to do anything risky."

"Uncle Donald's not here!"

The argument persisted, but Webby didn't pay them any mind. She peered on into the traps. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary, just your standard spikes and arrows. Still, there was something off about the whole thing.

She avoided the traps and snuck in, seeing the latch that turned off the traps.

Dewey and Scrooge snapped their heads in her direction when they heard the sound of stones moving.

"My, good job, Webbigail!"

Webby grinned. She looked at Dewey with a thumbs up. He gave her a thumbs up but looked away, feeling envious of her.

They made their way in with a torch on hand.

They went through halls and traps until the final door stared down at them.

Scrooge checked the door for anything suspicious. There was nothing wrong with it as far as he could tell.

Dewey opened the door without warning. Scrooge jumped.

"Lad!"

"Sorry, Uncle Scrooge, but you were taking way too long."

The old duck growled. "That could've gotten us killed!"

"But it didn't!"

Webby intervened. "Enough! Isn't it enough now? What's done is done. Come on,"

Scrooge sighed and Dewey gave and embarrassed cough.

The tension vanished when they saw all the gold, diamonds, emeralds, and more inside. Dewey saw a diamond ring and picked it up. He then looked at Webby who was gushing over everything.

"Wow, look at all of this!" She started reading some old scrolls, deciphering what they were all saying.

Dewey liked seeing her happy. She deserved it after all.

"Hey, Webby?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you want to...maybe get in a relationship?"

"Huh? I thought we had a familial relationship."

Dewey shook his head and held out the ring. "No, I mean, like girlfriend and boyfriend?"

Webby was uncomfortable all of a sudden. "Well, I'm sorry Dewey. I don't feel the same way. We're still family, right?"

"Y-yeah," he was disappointed about the rejection, but it accepted it.

"Sorry,"

"No, it's fine, I get it."

It was awkward, sure, but at least he said it, right?

Scrooge was annoyed by what happened with Dewey, and was still worried about Louie.

Something was afoot in the room though. He heard some groaning sounds from another room. He was not about to let whatever that was kill his family.

The old duck managed to pry open a hidden door. Sure enough, the groaning came from there.

Dewey saw Scrooge and followed him. Webby, still in awe, decided that it was safe here.

"Lad, what are yeh doing here?"

"I'm trying to help you!"

"Shh! You can help me by staying quiet."

"Fine,"

Dewey took a golden knife from the floor and prepared to fight whatever was waiting for them.

The noise was closer than ever now. Scrooge signaled for Dewey to get ready. Suddenly they saw a flash of green.

"Now, Dewey!"

They lunged at the green, and…

Dewey regretted ever going down there.

The next thing he heard was a scream of pure pain.

"L-Louie!" Scrooge yelled in surprise.


	4. Mistakes

**A/N: I feel the real edge bleh. but I wrote it like this to explore a concept and to better learn how to write certain characters. So it will definitely lighten up at some point.**

* * *

Dewey dropped the blood soaked knife and went to hold his younger brother.

"I'm so sorry Louie! I'm so, so, sorry!"

The youngest triplet was writhing in pain. His shoulder and stomach were slowly seeping out red as he let out a cry. "What was that for?!"

Scrooge took Louie out of Dewey's arms and ran back to the treasure room. Dewey followed in suit, horrified.

Webby was about to greet them with a cheery smile but frowned upon seeing Louie.

"What happened to him?!"

Dewey was trying to explain, but couldn't find the words. "I just-I-I don't know- he was just there-,"

Scrooge was using whatever supplies he had on him to help his great nephew.

Louie coughed in his agony, only whimpering now. "C-can't you at least give me a warning before stabbing me?"

Dewey shouted, "Now's not the time for your joking around."

The younger flinched. "Sh-sheesh, sorry. Shouting at me won't solve anything!"

"Louie, be quiet! Save your energy." Scrooge seethed. "Donald is going to kill me."

They made their way back to the plane with very low morale, and lots of speed.

Huey saw them and waved until he saw Louie in Scrooge's hands. He called out to Donald who was arguing with Launchpad.

"Louie!" They yelled. Huey was stressed, seeing his brother bloodied up. Donald was a mix of many emotions, but concern and anger were the two most prominent ones.

"Scrooge! This is your fault! I should have kept the boys safe from you!"

Scrooge glared at him. "Now's not the time! Louie's dying here!"

They mustered up all the energy they had to patch Louie up. That night, they slept in the plane. Well, tried to anyways. Launchpad was the only one who slept soundly despite his worries. Donald and Scrooge were watching over Louie, silently agreeing to not argue until they got back. Huey, Dewey, and Webby were supposed to get sleep, but they couldn't sleep a wink. Webby was overall worried about everyone. Huey was wanting to check up on Louie, but was sent back to the passenger seat. He was going through an intense night. Dewey felt utter guilt for what happened. He and Scrooge haven't told anybody what happened. Eventually everyone's going to find up when Louie explains it.

He was arguably more stressed than Huey was because he was the direct cause for Louie's suffering. He just hoped he didn't kill Louie.

During the night, they all heard Louie's groaning. Though the youngest triplet seemed to be the coldest, he was still the most sensitive one out of the bunch, choosing not to show it too often.


	5. Home doesn't feel like home

Mrs. Beakley was astounded by the atmosphere everyone else had, but the moment she saw why, she went forward to take care of this.

"Luckily, the wounds aren't very deep since you two made more of a slash than a stab. It might take a few days to completely heal."

Scrooge gave a sigh of relief knowing that his nephew wasn't in any immediate danger. Huey, Dewey, and Webby were happy to know that Louie was going to get better.

Donald nudged Scrooge's arm and motioned for the door. The older duck knew what was going on. He gave one last look at Louie and left the triplets' room. Donald followed in suit after giving Louie a pat on the head.

* * *

"Uncle Scrooge, what happened at the temple?"

"Donald, I swear I can explain. There was a weird sound coming from another room and I was trying to make sure that it wouldn't hurt us. Louie just jumped out and we hit him under reflex."

"You still hurt my family! Building Della a spaceship wasn't enough? Do you have to hurt her kid too?"

"I wasn't trying to! You know that's the last thing I want to do!"

Their bickering became louder for everyone to hear, even the triplets themselves. Beakley went to Scrooge's office to quiet them down, but they didn't listen.

* * *

Webby shifted uncomfortably. "Do you think Donald and Uncle Scrooge can make up after all of this?"

Huey rubbed his arm. "I don't know. After mom, they didn't talk for years, but Louie's alive and he can help convince Uncle Donald that we could stay, right Louie?"

The duck in red looked towards his younger brother who had been awake the whole time, silently listening to it all.

"Yeah," Louie murmured.

Dewey was uncomfortable. "Louie, I'm sorry about what happened."

Louie shrugged. He gave a cold stare to Dewey, signifying that maybe things weren't exactly ok. "I know you are but that really hurts, you know. Ugh, it's a literal pain."

"I didn't know it was you!"

"Save it, I'm not in the mood."

Blue and green were starting to get irritated with each other.

Huey and Webby saw this and decided to put a stop to it.

"Guys, stop!" They yelled.

The two brothers kept going as if they didn't even hear the other two. Louie kept making hand gestures towards his bandaged up gashes. Dewey had enough and leaped towards him. He didn't hit Louie, though he was about to. The middle triplet stopped mid swing.

Louie was glaring at him, seemingly not fazed by what his brother was about to do. Well, not completely, as his eyes did start to get watery.

Huey pulled Dewey off of Louie while Webby checked to make sure Louie's bandages were still secure. She gave Dewey a disappointed look before focusing on Louie again.

Huey dragged Dewey out of their bedroom and scolded him in the hallway.

"What were you thinking?! That is our brother! I get it, he was being unfair to you, but just give him some time! He'll come around eventually."

Dewey crossed his arms. "Fine, I'm sorry. I know he's going through a rough time but still,"

Huey sighed, "I get it. Let's just try to calm down."

Dewey hesitated but opened the door to their room. Louie was still there of course, but he wasn't so emotional looking.

"Louie, I'm sorry for attacking you."

"Whatever,"

That did make his blood boil, but he kept his temper down. Webby nodded to Huey and left the room.

It was almost dinner time.

The dinner wasn't exactly fun.


	6. Gone

The evening was tense. Donald and Scrooge were sitting opposite of each other. Scrooge cleared his throat in an attempt to make things less awkward.

"Well, how are you, boys, Webby?"

The three triplets played along. Huey fiddled his thumbs and answered first.

"My day is going pretty ok. Everyone is safe at home."

His attempt to look on the bright side of things fell flat. Dewey was strangely quiet. He wouldn't look at his younger brother.

Huey nudged him. The middle triplet finally spoke.

"It's going great Uncle Scrooge. It's not like we're trying to ignore the problem or anything."

The tension grew due to Dewey's sarcastic remark. Scrooge frowned. "Eh, What about you, Louie?"

Webby gave the triplets a glance. The third triplet was also quiet. Usually there'd be some mumbling before completely focusing on his phone, but Louie didn't have his phone, and he didn't say a word.

"Lad?"

Donald looked at the youngest with concern.

Louie was either lost in thought, or he was ignoring everyone. Webby took over the situation with a nervous chuckle.

"Ok! Um, Uncle Scrooge, what business strategies do you have for us?"

Scrooge didn't like the change but he would rather that than the silence.

"Well Lass, there are quite a few I would point out are especially-,"

"I'm not hungry." Louie interrupted. "Thanks for the dinner."

Everyone looked at him with surprise.

The boy got up and started limping back upstairs.

Scrooge got up and ran after Louie. As he was about to put a hand on his shoulder, Louie flinched and slapped it away.

Scrooge was frozen. He wasn't mad. Oh no, he was far from mad. The old duck was saddened and fearful. He could see it in the younger one's eyes, the absolute paranoia, dismay, and worst of all, terror.

Louie regained his composure and ran as best as he could to his room. Scrooge looked at his hand. His guilt and worry was the only thing on his mind. He sighed.

"Maybe I'll just give the lad some time. He's not ready to see me."

Donald almost felt bad for Scrooge, but he felt worse for Louie.

Huey, Dewey, and Webby had been especially shocked at the events. Dewey stood up from his seat.

"I...I think I'm heading to bed too."

Huey sighed and looked at Webby. The two nodded to each other. Nothing was ok between many of their family members.

* * *

Louie was hiding under his blankets. Even though he thought it was pathetic, it was the only thing he felt like doing. He had heard the door opening. The person who opened it walked towards him and paused before climbing the ladder to the next bed.

Louie heard the bed directly above him creaking. It must be Dewey then. His sense of paranoia kept him up.

_No, Dewey was his brother. Even if he was annoying, he was fine._

_But he was the one who hurt you. He was about to hurt you again._

_The first one was on accident. He was just mad the second time around._

_He's right there. Even when he's mad, he's still hurting you._

No matter how much Louie tried to convince himself that Dewey wasn't dangerous, that same conscious echoed his fears.

He couldn't sleep the entire night. The notion that the one who had hurt him was right above him kept him awake. All Louie could think about was the moment with Scrooge. The way he had slapped the older ducks hand away in fear was unlike Louie.

* * *

When morning came, Louie was tired to say the least. It was 7 AM when he finally fell asleep. Huey didn't bother waking him up due to hearing his brother thrashing around during the night. Dewey didn't say a word. The middle triplet patted the youngest on the head.

"I'm sorry, Louie."

Beakley was already up and about, making breakfast for everyone. She had noted that Scrooge and Louie were missing.

There wasn't any news of adventuring from Scrooge, no witty remarks from Louie, and no playful banter from anyone.

Webby patted Dewey on the shoulder. "It's ok, he just needs some time to adjust. You guys will always be brothers, right?"

Dewey, still somewhat frustrated, replied with, "Yeah,"

The day progressed slowly. Huey went upstairs to go check on Louie but the youngest triplet was missing.

"Louie?" He looked around frantically. It was just like the day they were searching for that temple. It was just like Louie's mysterious disappearance which was never explained.

He couldn't let that happen again.

"Louie! Where are you?!"

Dewey, Webby, and Scrooge burst into the room, looking fearful for a repeat of events.

Scrooge ran down stairs with Dewey trailing behind him. He could hear Huey telling Webby to split up and search the rest of the second floor.

"Dewey, you search in the east wing, I'll check the west."

"Got it Uncle Scrooge." Dewey was determined to make sure his brother was safe. Maybe that would erase his mistake.

Scrooge looked everywhere he could on his side but found no trace of him. Going back into the foyer, he saw a panicked Huey, a worried Webby, and a dejected Dewey.

Mrs. Beakley walked in with a sympathetic gaze in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Mr. McDuck. I can't find him anywhere."

The old billionaire growled. "Not this again. Can any of you call him?"

Huey nodded and called his brother.

They heard it ring. They followed it back into the triplets' room. There his phone was, sitting on a dresser. Where would Louie go without his phone?

"He's not here…"

Scrooge sighed. "I'll need to tell Donald."

Dewey spoke up. "I'll tell him. It was my fault Lou-,"

"No, lad, it wasn't your fault. It wasn't anybody's except my own."

Nobody could say a word.

Scrooge headed to the backyard and knocked on Donald's houseboat door. He dreaded having to tell his nephew about this news. It would break them apart even further. Maybe he could tell Donald that Louie was just spending a few days at his friends's house.

His nephew opened the door in surprise. "What are you doing here Scrooge?"

"I've come to tell you that Louie...Louie's missing."

Instead of the anger he expected, Donald just looked at him in confusion. "Louie's right here. I thought he told you."

Donald stepped aside to let Scrooge see Louie sitting at the table.

Scrooge pushed him aside and ran towards Louie in a frenzy. A mixture of emotions overtook him, shock, anger, and relief. He embraced Louie which made the young duck flinch.

The old duck noticed this and let go. "Lad, you were here this entire time? Why didn't you tell me or anyone?!"

"I'm..sorry Uncle Scrooge, I just thought that you wouldn't mind not seeing me for a bit. I was going to tell you something later."

"Well, tell me now! Everyone's been worried sick about you, Louie."

"Tell them I'm sorry about making them worried. Anyways, I'm…"

"Go on,"

"I'm moving out."

Time stood still for Scrooge. Louie wasn't making eye contact, his movements were sluggish and his eyelids seemed like they were about to drop.

"You're...moving out." Scrooge repeated, processing the words.

"Yeah, I'm just needing some time away for a bit."

Scrooge was about to retaliate, but he noticed Donald's hand on Louie's shoulder. He rethought his words. "Why?"

"I think I could just uh be humble and live an honest life for a while, away from everyone else."

That was an obvious lie, but Scrooge understood perfectly. What he did had probably scarred the youngest triplet so much, not even his greed got in the way. Scrooge decided to let go of his connection to Louie.

"Alright, I hope you find some peace with yourself and…"

Louie had turned away before Scrooge could say more. "Yeah, thanks Uncle Scrooge. It means a lot."

"Yeah…"

Donald shot a knowing look at Scrooge.

"Do you mind paying for the boat to be removed from your pool again?"

At first, Scrooge was about to say no, but he nodded, thinking it was probably best for Louie.

Donald nodded back. "It's sad to see the boys having to split up like this."

Scrooge stood up straight in pure surprise. "You're not taking them with you?"

Donald gave a sad glance. "Louie and I thought that it was best to not have him see his brothers for the time being."

"I...understand. Good luck, Donald."

Before leaving, Scrooge tossed Donald a roll of money.

He took one last glance at Louie who had his back turned on him and finally closed the door.

* * *

The next day, all of Louie's belongings were gone, and nobody except for Scrooge knew why. It was going to be hard to tell them the truth.

Regret had never burrowed deeper than now. At least Louie wasn't dead in space, right?


	7. Unfortunate news

Huey, Dewey, and Webby had dropped what they were doing to gape at the triplets' room. Not a single speck of green was seen. Their evening was turning out worse than before.

Scrooge let them stare for a while longer before urging them away.

Huey stammered. "Wh-where's Uncle Donald? Does he know about this?"

"Yes, Huey. He knows. You might just need to be apart for a little while. Your Uncle Donald is taking care of him right now."

Webby started shifting anxiously. "Uncle Scrooge, how long is this going to be? We can't just let them leave like that."

"As long as Louie needs. We don't know how much it affected Louie. I...know it feels wrong, but we need to be mindful of how he feels."

* * *

The houseboat life was just as he remembered it. Well, with the exception of his brothers not being there. Louie flinched when remembering Dewey.

"No, soon I'll let go of it. He's my brother after all."

Donald patted him on the back. "I know you will eventually see them again, but take your time."

"Thanks, Uncle Donald."

The green clad triplet went to his old bed. He sighed, hearing the sounds of the water hitting against the boat. It was peaceful and quiet. Maybe he will definitely get used to this.


	8. Life on a Houseboat again

Louie woke up with bags under his eyes. The ceiling of the houseboat was staring down at him as he sat up.

"Huh, Huey didn't wake me up."

He looked around, searching for his brothers. "Hu-,"

Then, he realized that his brothers weren't here. They didn't need him. Scrooge is probably taking them on an adventure right now. He didn't have that strong of a presence in their adventures so they probably won't miss a thing.

Louie didn't feel like moving. Maybe it was because of his obvious sloth. Still, something heavy fell upon him. It brought apathy and nothing more. He wished he could care.

If only…

Donald walked in with a slightly worried expression. "Louie? Are you awake?"

He didn't want to answer. He couldn't answer. That sense of intense laziness and apathy came crashing into him, so he pretended to be asleep even though Donald would probably wake him up for breakfast. There was a sense of guilt eating away at him for making Donald worried.

Donald received silence, so he took that as a sign of Louie sleeping.

"You deserve rest after what Scrooge did to you. I'll leave a plate of food and a glass of water for you. I'm off to an interview."

Even if he was sure that his nephew wasn't listening, he still had to say it.

"I love you, Louie."

The duck under blankets held himself still, hoping that his uncle didn't just see him flinch.

He heard the door closing one minute later.

* * *

Louie felt like it was an eternity before he left his bed. Turns out it been hours. Five o'clock was starting to roll in and Donald wasn't back yet. He felt like staying there all day, but his stomach disagreed with him.

Fish and egg was on the plate. Louie forced himself to eat it, only to throw it up in the bathroom. It was a lot saltier than he had expected it.

The duck in green hated that he couldn't eat anymore of what Donald tried to give him to help.

He forced himself to eat, only to vomit it back up again.

Louie went back to bed. The only time he was almost encouraged to be lazy felt like the worst punishment of all. Was it karma? He wasn't sure. Moping around like this wasn't helping anybody, especially not himself. Wasn't he supposed to be healing?

How was he supposed to face Dewey and Scrooge again if he couldn't even get out of bed?

How could he show them that he didn't hate them if all his body did was flinch?

The questions he asked himself were ringing so much, he didn't even hear Donald come home.

"Louie?" His uncle's calling had pulled Louie out of his thoughts. The youngest triplet turned over and smiled.

"Yes, Uncle Donald?"

"My goodness! You look terrible!"

The duck instantly left the room to gather a thermometer, ice pack, and medication. When he came back, he checked Louie's temperature.

"How did you get so sick?!"

Louie shrugged. He was tired and hoping for some rest. After a little bit of Donald doting on him, he lulled to sleep. He could hear Donald's tired sigh.

Life was going just great.


	9. Reunited

5 years later

Huey, Dewey, and Webby had been going on their own adventures. Through the last few years, they grew very comfortable without the third triplet. They didn't choose to, but time passed and they couldn't just spend years mourning over the loss of their companion.

Scrooge had stopped adventuring for a year, but came back to it after some convincing.

Everything seemed so normal, but as exciting as the adventures were, there was always something missing. Everyone tried ignoring the overwhelming sense of emptiness during certain moments.

Webby went back to her normal self but couldn't help pausing to remember Louie. Huey, still feeling a form of guilt, was always trying to bury that looming feeling. It felt wrong just being "twins". There was always that missing link.

Scrooge was always ignoring it like the others, but he shut out any mention of the last triplet to ease the aching undertone of each adventure.

Dewey felt immense grief gnawing at him. During the night, his sweetest dream would quickly transform into the memory he had to relive. He put up a tough guy persona to show that he moved on, but no matter what he did, it was still there.

They haven't seen Louie in so long. The youngest triplet wasn't even in their school anymore. Teachers and students asked, but they just said that there were some custody things going on.

Well, that seemed to change when Beakley had a phone call from Donald.

"Oh, of course. I understand. I will let Mr. McDuck know. It's...nice talking to you again, Donald."

* * *

Louie's life went on as if nothing happened for the most part. He was alone, isolated sometimes, but he would rather it that way. He lived a boring life on a houseboat like he thought he was always going to since he was young. They weren't rich, and because of that, Louie had to stop being lazy for a while.

When he had transferred schools, Donald fussed about what to do when alone. Louie smiled and said, "I'll be fine."

In school, he was the loner. He had a few "friends" but they didn't care too much about him. The feeling was all to mutual.

Louie remembered how Huey always had A's. Dewey usually had B's and C's. When Louie was trying, he could get A's and B's, but normally, the apathy would get to him.

He didn't feel like trying. The only time he did was on important tests to make Donald proud.

His acquaintances often gawk at him. His average grades are always failures, but he managed to get almost perfect scores on tests. Donald never could check his grades because of trying to find a stable job, but whenever he knew of a test, he would try his hardest to see where Louie was at.

It was a miracle he passed at all. Louie drifted from the thought of his brothers eventually. Maybe he'll be erased from their memories too. The thought saddened him, but he shook it off.

That's why he was surprised when Donald drove him to McDuck Manor.

"Um, Uncle Donald, why are we here? I'm old enough to take care of myself."

Donald turned back to look at him. It was a soft glare. He got those pretty often.

"You know why, Louie. I'm not willing to let it happen again. Besides, don't you want to see your brothers again? It's been too long."

"I...guess you're right."

"Do you have your bag?"

"Yeah,"

Donald nodded to him. He waited for Beakley to open the gates. When she did, there was a moment of nothing moving.

"It's very nice to see you again, Louie."

"Mhm, you too, Mrs. B."

He forced himself to smile at her. It appeared genuine enough, right?

Donald parked and looked at Louie. "Are you ready?"

"Even if I wasn't you would still force me anyway, ha." Louie chuckled at the thought of Donald forcing him into a mansion.

"We can leave if you want. Your friend, Perry said that you could hang out at his place, right?"

"I'll be fine, Uncle Donald."

His uncle sighed and nodded. "Della would be proud of you."

Louie didn't respond. He held up his smile.

"I wish I can come in with you, but my job is waiting for me."

"I understand, have fun."

It would be better to not weigh on his uncle's back. Louie opened the car door and waved to Beakley. His facade was holding up well.

"Have a good day, Uncle Donald."

"Thanks, Louie."

The duck in green carried his satchel and walked towards the door. "Wow, same as always."

"Yes, I try to keep the mansion looking very colorful,"

"How is everyone?"

"They're doing fine."

That's good. Maybe he should leave them forever.

"However, they do miss you greatly. Mr. McDuck is hoping you would talk to him."

"Of course,"

"Do you still fear them?"

"No, it's been years."

"Very well then."

Here they were, in the lobby area of the house. When Louie was five years younger, he would have been bouncing around excitedly. Now, he's still impressed, but he didn't feel the same joy as he did back then.

Then, he saw the world's richest duck, Scrooge McDuck. They had no idea what to say to each other.

Mrs. Beakley cleared her throat. "I'll be making lunch."

Now, the awkward silent was starting to make them itch. Louie was the first to speak. "You don't look a day older than the last time I saw you."

"Well, it's good to see you again, Louie."

Louie's heart pounded as the words dropped out of his mouth. "Same, I can't believe it."

He opened up his arms and walked towards his uncle. His mind screamed for him to run. His mental state started deteriorating as he stepped closer, but his body wouldn't cooperate. He hugged Scrooge. The older duck, shocked, hugged back. He had no idea what was going on in Louie's head.

However, their embrace almost made Louie feel safe.

Almost…

"Your brothers don't know you're here. We should probably tell them." Scrooge said, not knowing anything about how Louie was feeling.

"Sure,"

"Boys! Webby! Come down here. I need to tell you something."

He could hear running from upstairs. Webby was the first to appear. She was bright and giggly as always but stopped at her tracks as soon as she saw Louie. The duck in green looked around the mansion casually, but he couldn't help noticing her slightly longer hair.

Her grin grew two times its original size. She tackled Louie to the ground.

"Louie!"

"H-hey, Webby," he started coughing. It was unexpected to say the least.

"Webby! The poor boy's going to die if you do that!"

"Ha ha...sorry Louie."

"I'm fine."

He smiled at her before noticing his satchel's contents falling out.

"Wait, Webby, did you just say Louie?", he heard another voice say. It was a familiar tone he had known all his life.

"It can't be!" Another familiar voice rung out in the mansion.

Both of his brothers had come out from the east wing of the house.

Louie had mixed feelings about seeing them, but the main emotion was distress, not because of Dewey, but because of what they might find out.

He quickly gathered up his belongings and shoved them in the bag. Webby took notice of his panic but didn't see what he was hiding.

He felt someone embrace him from behind.

"Louie! It's been too long!"

The green triplet already knew that the eldest was right there. He turned a put on another smile. "I know right?"

He hugged Huey back.

"You need to tell me about what's been happening, like what school you went to, who your friends were, etcetera!"

"I'll go through the details later, ha."

"You better."

He saw Dewey standing back.

"Hey, Louie."

Louie's heart stopped. He stood back up and nodded to Dewey with a grin. "Hey,"

The middle triplet sent back his own smile and patted Louie on the shoulder. "Wow, you've changed."

"Eh, what can I say."

"About what happened before-,"

"Don't worry about it. That was years ago."

Louie was still holding up his mask well.

"Heh, you should probably unpack."

"Yeah,"

While he was getting used to the environment, he could make note of a few things.

Huey was always confident with his facts, but now he was confident with his attitude. Still the same nerd he always knew. He was taller than Louie by a centimeter.

Scrooge was practically at the end of his life, so there wasn't too much changed about him except for his age. He was still kicking though.

Webby was the same bubbly girl as ever, but like Huey, she was more confident. Maybe it was because of being around these people for five years. She was weirder than ever and she loved it. She was the same height as him.

Dewey was still prideful in himself. The male seemed to be a football and theater kid, something he never thought would be a good combination. He was taller than both Louie and Huey.

Louie felt small compared to them. They had developed so much and yet he didn't accomplish much. He wasn't at all jealous, he was rather happy that they were doing well.

* * *

Louie was in the middle of taking care of something in the bathroom when he heard Dewey knock on the open door.

"Wah! Oh, it's just you. Hey Dewey."

The other was unamused. "You may think you're hiding your feelings well, but I can tell that you're still scared of me."

Ok, so Dewey was also smarter than before. That was an interesting thing.

"You were still flinching a bit." He raised a hand which caused Louie to indeed flinch.

"Look, don't force yourself to talk to me. I just want to let you know that I really am sorry."

"Like I said, that was years ago."

"Look, everyone knows. Me, Scrooge, Webby, Huey, we all know that you're still scared. No matter how realistic you try to make your smile, we're still your family. We can see right through it."

Louie rolled his eyes. "I'll get over it eventually. You know that I still love you guys."

Dewey was silent for a few moments. "Yeah, I know, but take it easy, Lou."

Louie grinned, even if he knew that Dewey could see right through it. "Thanks, Dew."

The other was about to leave until he noticed what was in Louie's hand.

"Hey, what's that for?"

His reaction was...unexpected. "It's none of your business!"

Dewey had a troubled look in his eyes. He reached out only to get Louie slapping his hand away. "Sorry Dewey. I didn't mean to yell like that. It's just a bit personal."

Dewey knew how it felt to hide something from his brothers, and he knew how it felt to not know what Scrooge had hidden about Della, but he never knew how it felt to have his own brother hide something.

It really did sting.

Dewey stepped aside.

"It's fine."


	10. Not Adventuring on an Adventure

The first night in Scrooge's mansion again was calm. Dinner was full of energy as everyone asked about how Louie was. He was at last with his family. Louie sat with Dewey in order to assured Huey and Webby that it was okay.

Sometimes Louie would feel his heart stop, but that was fine. Dewey was his brother.

But how long would it be before being his brother wasn't enough?

The thought was whispering to him again and again throughout the evening. Everyone knew, but nobody dared to ruin the nicer atmosphere.

Huey was awfully interested in how everything was in the school Louie transferred to. Louie told him about the teachers and assignments they had to do. Webby also asked about his friends, but Louie subtly avoided the question. Scrooge felt out of place due to how long it had been since he had last seen Louie.

He had tried to join in on the questioning, but noticed how brief the responses were.

Later that night, Louie slept in his old bed underneath the his brothers'. "Maybe it won't be so bad."

* * *

"Louie! LOUIE!"

The muffled sound of Donald's voice started to fade away. Louie could remember how dark the ocean was. The terrifying, calm ocean. After Webby was thrown off by Glomgold, he had a slight dislike for it. The inky black blue surrounded him.

Strangely enough, there was some red in the ocean. Was this during a sunset?

No, it was blood.

So even if he didn't drown, he'd still die from something else. Maybe a shark can eat him.

As he drowned even further, he saw someone diving into the ocean. That duck was swimming straight towards him.

_Stop, please don't try to save me._

Once the darkness fully engulfed him, he opened his eyes. There he was, in the school hallways again.

His legs started moving on their own. He passed several students who greeted him happily.

"Hey, Louie!"

"What's up, Louie?"

"Ey!"

Soon, he came face to face with someone he didn't want to see.

Another student he didn't particularly like.

"You'll never amount to anything, you know? You don't even try. You're alone in life. You're a coward."

"..."

"Do you think that running away will help anyone? It's pathetic. Nobody here actually likes you. Those students you greeted used you as a scapegoat"

"..."

"You're own brothers think you're just a coward."

"..."

"I know you're a coward, and you know full well that you're a coward."

"..."

"You just want attention. Maybe Dewey's the one who wants the most attention, but here, you would do anything for it. Nobody cares."

"So aggressive today," Louie said to his reflection. "But you know how I feel so what's the point?"

The mirror dissipated and the black ocean returned. This time he really did feel the water rushing to his lungs. Louie felt the urge to scream, and so he did.

"Louie! LOUIE!"

* * *

The duck in green woke up to Dewey shaking him.

"Are you ok?"

His head was pounding. Was that just a random nightmare.

"Hm? What happened?"

"You started screaming."

Louie sighed and relaxed.

"Yeah, sometimes that happens."

"What were you dreaming about?"

Louie debated on what to say. No, don't be a burden. "I don't remember. It's nothing serious anyways."

His laid back personality tricked Dewey into believing that he told the absolute truth.

He heard footsteps. At the door was Huey with a backpack on. "Let's go, Uncle Scrooge is waiting!"

Dewey hurried excitedly down the hall. Huey shook his head with a smile. He then turned to the youngest triplet.

"Do...you want to join us?"

Louie was about to refuse, but right as he was about to, Scrooge appeared at the doorway. "The lad cannot be alone. Beakley is out to retrieve an important item for me, and so nobody can watch over you if you stay at home."

Louie sat up straight. "Wait, what?! Why? I'm not a kid anymore!"

Scrooge gave him a look of sympathy. "Donald was very insistent on not leaving you alone."

Huey looked at both of them. "I thought Donald would've wanted Louie to stay home."

Scrooge nodded. "That is the ideal place he should be in, but he made it clear that under no circumstance must Louie be left alone."

The triplet in red looked at Louie quizzically. "Why is that?"

"It's nothing. Donald's just overprotective." Louie spoke flatly.

Scrooge nodded. "Donald just wants Louie to be safe."

"Ok…" Huey was clearly not going to believe it, but he let it go. The oldest triplet left the room to find Dewey.

Scrooge glanced at Louie. "Louie, Donald told me about your...condition. He's right to be concerned if-,"

"I know. I'm not going to do that, okay? If my brothers or even Webby finds me doing that, they're going to babysit me."

"If you say so. I still want you to come with us. You don't even need to get out of the Sunchaser. I'm sure Launchpad is fine with staying behind with you."

"...Fine,"

Louie walked past Scrooge with his clothes and hygiene products. Before he left, Scrooge murmured.

"I promise, I'm not letting that happen again."

"I know you won't."

* * *

It was fifteen minutes before they were to embark on a new journey to find an ancient treasure. Everyone was ready and chatting it up.

Huey and Webby discussed the old legend and facts.

Dewey and Launchpad were getting their supplies ready. Dewey in particular taking a look at the weapons.

Louie of course felt out of place. He remembered when Scrooge told him that he definitely had traits from Della. Well, he definitely does not have much of Della's adventuring traits like he used to.

He still shrugged it off and went anyways. A little bit of anxiety had crept up on him, but he remained cool headed. Louie called out to his family. "I'll be right back! I need to take care of something."

Dewey and Webby took notice and followed him.

The youngest triplet muttered to himself, "I won't need them on the trip. I'll be in the plane anyways."

Suddenly he turned around. "You guys seriously need to stop stalking me. Do you guys know what personal space is?"

He wasn't mad or scared, just irritated. After all, they didn't see what was in his pockets.

"Sorry, it's just that from what Huey told me, you can't be alone for some reason."

"I'm not gonna die after a few seconds of being gone guys." Louie leaned back against the sinks casually. "You guys need to stop worrying about me. I'm fine."

Dewey put up a finger but Webby shook her head. He sighed. "Fine, have it your way."

The middle brother walked off. Webby looked at Louie. "If you ever need to talk, you know where to go."

"Thanks Webby." Louie smiled.

He had a moment to himself no that they weren't there anymore. Louie looked at his reflection again. "I'd rather you scream at my face than leave me feeling empty, ok? I'm not going to be a burden."

The reflection just copied him like a mirror should. Louie sighed. "That's it Louie. We're back in the adventuring department."

* * *

On the Sunchaser, Louie listened to music on his phone while looking at all of the land below them. It was calming.

Then, the plane crashed just as usual.

It made Louie grab onto his seat for a moment before letting go when the plane came to a full stop.

"Alright, we're here!" Launchpad yelled.

Huey, Dewey, and Webby cheered. They started leaving to look around the savanna.

"I wonder how many lions we'll see!" Dewey exclaimed.

Webby laughed. "Not too many in this area, but maybe we can find a cheetah."

Scrooge patted Louie on the shoulder. "We'll be back before you know it!"

"Cool, good luck."

Scrooge nodded and left. Huey also stopped to say a few words. "Be safe."

Louie rolled his eyes. "I would never try to get myself into danger unless there was gold involved."

Huey smiled and ruffled Louie's hair. "Glad you understand."

After all of them have left, Louie had hung out in the back with headphones. Launchpad was humming the theme to Darkwing Duck's theme song. After twenty minutes, Launchpad said, "Hey, Louie?"

"Yeah?" Louie said. He took off his headphones and looked at Launchpad, waiting for a follow up.

"Why did you disappear all of those years ago?"

"What?"

"Like, you know, before Dewey and Mr. McD hit you with the knife?"

Louie grimaced. Launchpad realized what he said and tried covering it up. "Uh, I mean on that adventure for the temple of riches?"

Louie sighed. "It's fine Launchpad. I thought I saw something glistening like gold in the distance and-,"

"We're back!"

Launchpad looked out the window and opened the door to the plane. "Hey Mr. McD!"

It seems that he had forgotten what Louie had to say. It was most certainly preferable that way to Louie.

Webby was holding a book with a look of glee on her face. Dewey's new spear was sharp. Huey's Junior Woodchuck Guidebook was flipped open to a page about curses.

In Scrooge's hand was a chest of treasure and many masks. Huey examined one of the masks carefully.

"They say that each one represents some sort of negative aspect of each person. If you wear one, you'll show that negative trait until you take it off, and the longer you leave it on, the harder it is to take it off, physically and mentally!"

Scrooge nudged Huey's hand away. "Be careful. This could get in the wrong hands."

Louie gave a lazy wave and grinned. "Hey, glad to see you're having fun."

Webby squealed. "You have no idea!"

Louie looked at a black mask with green markings and another one with yellow symbols. "Hey, that's pretty cool."

Webby giggled. "The yellow one mask of greed and selfishness! Oh! And the green one is envy. The black one adapts to whoever its host is. It takes over your mind and brings out the MOST negative thing about you. Fascinating isn't it?"

Louie nodded. His attention was on the black one. "Huh, wonder what that negative aspect would be for me."

"Hm?" Webby was snapped out of her awe.

"Nothing, glad you're having fun."

The trip back was buzzing with enthusiasm. However, there was only one person who didn't feel anything. Louie was staring at the masks that caught his eye. He couldn't share any joy. In fact, he felt empty. He didn't want to move, talk, or even breathe. There was a void of emotions in him.

No bit of happiness or sadness entered his mind, only the emptiness.

"I thought I said I would rather I scream at myself. Why did I have to feel numb now?"

He looked back to his happy family.

"What a pain,"


End file.
